Igniting device for internal-combustion engines.



C. W. WEISS.

IGNITING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COIVIBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24, 1917.

W/T/VESS CARL W. WEISS, GF BRGOKLYN, NEW YORK.

GNITENG- DEVICE FOR, INTERNAL-COMBUSTIGN ENGINES.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. if?, MMS.

Application led October 242., 1917. Serial No. 193,290.

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that l, CARL W. Waise, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn of the city of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in lgniting Devices for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following '1s a specifi.- cation, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Spark igniters are not available for use in starting up internal combustion engines which use kerosene or heavier fuel oils. It has been proposed to use for this purpose incandescent wire igniters, maintained at the necessary temperature by the passage of an electric current. edected by successive compressions within the explosion chamber, particularly in connection with internal igniting devices which become highly heated through repeated compressions of thecharge. For the most part, however, the initial heating necessary for the startin up of engines of this type is accomplishe by the use of external heat applied to some part of the cylinder head, this method of ignition being slow and adapted mainly for use with stationary engines. lt is the object of this invention to provide an igniting device for starting engines of the type referred to which shall be simpler and quicker in operation than the usual blowtorch igniter, shall be quicker than the compression method, and shall not require the use of an electric current. lin accordance with the invention there is provided in the head end ofl the cylinder, adjacent to a controllable port, an igniting body of a suitable heat resisting material such as nichrome wire or spongy platinum, which is capable of quickly becoming heated, by a llame drawn in through such port, when it is open, from a suitable burner placed outside the cylinder wall, to a. temperature sufficient to e'ect the ignition of the fuel cylinder, and is capable also of retaining heat suiiicient to continue ignition after the engine is started and the external flame is cut o. The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which it 1s illustrated and in which,-

Figure l is a view partly in longitudinal section and partly 'in elevation of the cyllgnition has also been l oil introduced into thewhich may inder of an internal combustion engine equipped with the improved igniting device.

Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views, in vertical section and in horizontal section respectively, through an igniting device of the same character as that shown in Fig. 1 but of slightly different form. y

Fig. 4 is a detail view in vertical section of another form of the igniting` device.

Fig. 5 is a detail view in vertical section of a form of the igniting device adapted for use with a vertical cylinder.

rl`he improved igniting device is capable of application to an internal combustion en gine cylinder in which any of the heavier fuel oils is employed. It is shown in Fig. 1

as applied to a horizontal cylinder a, provided as usual with a water jacketb, a fuel oil inlet .0', exhaust ports d, air inlet ports c,

and a reciprocating piston Illhe cylinder is i is shown as having a somewhat elongated compression space and as having in the end of such compression space an igniting body g which is represented as taking the forni of a wire cage, made of a heat resisting material, such as nichroine wire or platinum. rl`he cylinder or its compression space is provided also with a port it which opens externally of the cylinder and communicates internally directly with the space occupied by the igniter body g. rlhe port is controlled by a hand-operated valve plug c, which is shown in Figs. l, Q, 3 and 4 as threaded into a suitable support therefor and is provided with a suitable handle 7c.

ln the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig; 4 the valve plug is of another ordinary type having a seat in the extension a of the cylinder head, between the inner and outer ends of the port or passage h. Located externally of the cylinder and in suitable proximity to the port or passage h. is a burner, that is, an external source of flame. rlfhis burner may be of any convenient character. As shown in Fig. l, it comprises a pocket a2, open at the sides and adapted` to receive a wad of asbestos a3. be saturated with alcohol or oil ited by a match and furnish a flame ort time. 1n the construction shown 2 and 3 the burner is of the same that shown in Fig. l, but of a in the construction to be i for a s in Figs. character as slightly dierent form.

shown in F ig. 4f the burner is also of the same character but arranged in a somewhat di'erent Way. ln the construction shown in Fig. 5 the ocket a2 is an annular pocket surrounding t e port or passage 7L and the valve plug c on the top of a vertlcal cylinder.

ln the operation of the improved igniting device the port or passage h is opened by the valve plug k, the burner is ignited, and the engine is turned over a ew times by hand. '.lhe llame from the burner is drawn into the cylinder, through the igniting body, in each forward movement of the piston and at the same time the fuel injection -pump is operated, airis taken in, and a uel mixture is l formed in the cylinder. So long as the port h remains open the fuel mixture is expelled at each rearward movement of the piston, but ateach operation the igniter body becomes more highly heated and presently attains a temperature sufficient to ignite the mixturec .fie port is then closed and with the added due compression ignition of.' the charge continues and the engine op-` erates and comes up to normal speed. lt will be observed that as there is no external hot surface, in the ordinary hot ball igniter, the Water jacketed, une heat retained by the igniter body` being sufficient to keep the engine in operation` normal speed, even when it is running idle. lt will be understood `that the burner, whatever its character, should be so located with respect tothe port or passage Iz, that in starting up the `llame shall not be extinguished by the blast of air from the portl during the rearward movement of the pistone Various changes in details of arrangement can be made to suit dierent conditions of use or the convenience of the manufacturer and the invention, therefore, is not limited to the particular construction shown and described herein.

cylinder head can be Well incanta l claim as my invention:

l. An igniting device for an internal combustion engine, comprising a cylinder having a port or passage providing communication between the compression space and the external air, means to control the portl or passage, a heat resisting igniter body located within the compression space adjacent to such port or passage, and a source of llame located outside of the cylinder adjacent to' said port or passage, whereby, when the engine piston moves forward and the port is open, :llame from such source is drawn through the port and into contact with the igniter body to heat lthe same.

2. The combination with an internal combustion engine cylinder having a controllable port opening externally of the cylinder and communicating internally with the compression space of an igniter body located within the compression space adjacent to said port, and a source of :llame located outside of the cylinder adjacent to said port, whereby, when the engine piston moves forward and 'the port is open, :flame from such source is drawn through the port and into contact with the igniter body to heat the same.

3. T he combination with an internal combustion engine cylinder having a controllable port opening externally of the cylinder and communicating internally with the compression space of an igniter body, of heatresisting material located within the compresslon space adjacent to such port, and a burner located outside of the cylinder adjacent to such port, whereby, when the engine piston moves forward and the port is open, flame from said burner is drawn through the port and into contact withthe igniter body to heat the same.

This specification signed this 22d day of Uet., 1917.

CLRL W. WElSS. 

